I feel too old for festivals.
But then I'm too big a Radiohead fan, and not without complaining I bought a ticket for Lollapallooza Berlin, because I was not able to get any to see them in London. I'm from Brazil and I've just moved to London. I never thought that being here actually made it harder for you to get into concerts.
And then after living for about 6 months in what for my standards is absolutely freezing weather, I was craving the heat of the continent. And Berlin did not disappoint me. This was my second time there and this time I wanted a light-hearted visit, not war museums and educational Wall tours. So we stayed in a residential neighborhood, not the touristy areas, full of cafes and bars. It was hot and sunny. There was music in the air. We felt like if we wandered enough we would reach Copacabana beach. What a good vibe.
And then we went to see FC Union Berlin play football on Saturday, in a 4x0 match against the visiting team. Still not over the World Cup 7x1 Brazil fiasco, but it felt great to be in a stadium where people love football just that much. What a cool match. What great fans both teams had.
We spent the rest of the day wandering the town, tasting its tastes and walking its walks. It was love at second sight.
On Sunday, we ate some dust at the beautiful Treptower park to arrive at the main stage of Lolla, where we enjoyed the sight of young people dancing to some interesting new music throughout the afternoon. I was still feeling a little bit misplaced, but not for too long.
Festival goers in Germany are much more laid back then Radiohead die-hard fans in Brazil, so we were able to find a spot stuck to the rail to watch the show. Then more people my age started to pop up, some of them bringing their kids. When I saw the band in Sao Paulo back in 2009, I wasn't able to see much of what was going on at the stage, so to see Jonny, Tom and Ed all aligned in front of me was really a present from the gods. The music as I felt on my first time sounds even more beautiful live. I could go to this concert every night of my life.
Then Thom asked "how is your weekend?", it felt like a personal message, a wake-up call.
I was dragged all the way to Berlin, but in the end it was such a magic weekend.
You’re right, Thom. I have to get out more. I’m not that old. Thank you.
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